Background
Duncan was born on 8 June 1865 in Middlesbrough, England. He was the son of a ship"s pilot.
Duncan was born on 8 June 1865 in Middlesbrough, England. He was the son of a ship"s pilot.
He was apprenticed to the engineering industry, and Elswick Ordnance Factory, Newcastle upon Tyne.
He was General Secretary of the Workers" Union from 1900 to 1929. Trade unionism
Duncan joined Amalgamated Society of Engineers, and was active in the trade union movement for the rest of his life. When the Workers Union was founded in 1898 by Tom Mann, Duncan was its first president
In 1900 he was elected secretary of the union, an office he held until 1929.
In that year the Workers Uinion was merged into the Transport and General Workers" Union. He was honorary president of the National Union of Police and Prison Officers which existed between 1913 and 1918.
The police strikes in 1918 and 1919 resulted in the Police Acting 1919 which banned police from joining a trade union and from striking. Political career
Duncan began his political career as a local councillor.
During this period, he served as a whip.
He earned the nickname "Angel of " in World War I, because of he toured the United Kingdom encouraging men to join the military. Many of those would have died in the trenches. He held the seat until his narrow defeat at the 1918 general election by the Coalition Conservative candidate.
Duncan attempted unsuccessfully to re-enter the Commons when two by-elections were held in The Wrekin, Shropshire, in quick succession in February and November 1920.
At the 1922 election, he stood in the Derbyshire mining constituency of Clay Cross, winning the seat by a large majority from a divided Liberal Party. He was re-elected at the next four general elections, holding the seat until his death.
Duncan had been ill for a number of months, suffering from an illness of the stomach. He died at the Manor House Hospital, Hampstead, London in July 1933.
He was aged 68.
28th United Kingdom Parliament. 29th United Kingdom Parliament. 30th United Kingdom Parliament.
32nd United Kingdom Parliament.
33rd United Kingdom Parliament. 34th United Kingdom Parliament.
35th United Kingdom Parliament. 36th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness from 1906 to 1918, and Member of Parliament for Clay Cross from 1922 to 1933 (his death).
He was a member of Middlesbrough"s town council from 1896 to 1990.
He was elected at the 1906 general election as Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Barrow-in-Furness.